This piece was my most challenging piece because I found it very difficult to write a paper about such a controversial issue and still remain objective. I had a hard time remembering that this paper was not about what I thought about abortion, but more about the history of it and how its history effected the decision of women in the 1920s. Also, I had a hard time finding much information about abortion in the U.S. in the 1920s, with the exception of one work by Margaret Sanger. I found information as far back as 515 B.C. up to about 1890-1900, then there was a gap until around the 1960s. The lack of information is what made me decide to include so much history in the paper.
Megan Weeks
Ms. Evelyn Beck
ENG 202
19 April 2007
The Effects of Abortion Throughout History
Abortion has been a controversial issue among humans since as early as 515 B.C. The laws governing this act have changed nearly as many times as the method in which to perform the act. In Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants,” a young man and woman wrestle with the idea of the woman having an abortion in the 1920s while on a trip in Europe. The man is confident that the procedure is completely safe and natural, while the girl, named Jig, is not quite as sure about her decision. It is important to understand the history of abortion and abortion law throughout the world to understand the weight of the decision they are forcing themselves to make.
People’s opinion of abortion has changed quite frequently throughout history, especially in the last 900 years. In the later part of the 12th century, the church adopted the idea that, while a moral crime, abortion was not cruel enough to be considered murder. In the 13th century it was declared a sin, but not a serious one, by Pope Innocent III. Then, in the 14th century, it became a punishable sin, but not until the fetal movement could be felt. The 15th century deemed abortion as witchcraft. Later on, in the 19th century, the American Medical Association began unwavering protests against abortion, resulting in the Comstock Laws of 1873. During the early parts of the 20th century, well-known female authors such as Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Mary Wostonecraft opposed abortion.
There is much information to be found on abortion practices in all parts of the world dating back as far as 5000 years ago. Emperors in China performed the earliest known practice of abortion using mercury around 500 B.C. There have also been writings found of ancient Greeks and Romans using large amounts of poison to induce miscarriage. In those writings were also found instances where the woman’s uterus was poked at with long needles, knives or other sharp objects. Needless to say, the woman and the fetus were frequently both killed. Often in other primitive cultures, activities such as climbing, running, or heavy lifting were used as mechanisms of abortion. One of the earliest pictorial representations of abortion is that found in a Cambodian carving from roughly 1150 A.D. It is that of a demon inducing a miscarriage on a woman who was sent to the underworld. Around the 1700s, Japanese cultures began erecting statues in memory of children who had died, whether in the womb or out.
When the 19th century arrived, modern practices of abortion began to arise, especially in Europe and America. Along with these modern practices came protesters and laws banning abortion. In the early parts of the century, Great Britain put a ban on all forms of abortion. While this law reduced the number of induced miscarriages, the number of unwanted miscarriages began to rise. It was later discovered that these deaths were due to the lead pipes carrying the water throughout the country. With this discovery came a rise in the number of women using lead to illegally induce miscarriages. In Calgary, Alberta, women began using poison from Spanish fly to induce abortion. Moving into the 20th century, women in Manhattan would often sit over a pot of steam, among other things, to induce miscarriages. Instruments such as glass rods, penholders, curling irons, spoons, knives, and catheters were also used frequently. Around the 1920s the most common practice became flushing the inside of a woman’s uterus with water. In the United States, this practice was extremely affordable where in Great Britain it cost nearly 5% of a middle class family’s yearly income. Dilation and curettage (D & C) instruments were developed in France in the 18th century, but were not improved upon until the 19th century. These devices, now much more practical, are still used today. Early in the 20th century, vacuum devices were created to perform suction aspiration of the fetus. These devices were used widely throughout countries such as the Soviet Union, Japan, and China. Around the 1960s, they were brought to the United Kingdom and the United States.
With the bans on abortion remaining intact during the 19th century, advertisement for it had to change. People began to market abortion in disguised forms to keep from being charged with any crimes. This furtive style of advertising was seen widely throughout the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Companies would use many different euphemisms for pregnancy in their advertisements. Words and phrases such as “irregularity, obstruction, menstrual suppression, and delayed period” were used frequently. Often suppliers would specifically “warn” women against using their drug, as it would inevitably cause a miscarriage.
When the American Medical Association (AMA) began protesting abortion and pushing the federal government to put a stop to it, the Comstock Law of 1873 was voted into law. The Comstock Law made it illegal to provide or possess information on vulgar or obscene material through the mail or otherwise. Material included, but was not limited to, that pertaining to pornography, contraceptives and abortion.
Even with the attempted enforcement of this law, women all throughout the United States still flocked to abortionists. One of the most well known was Madame Restell, who franchised her “women’s clinics” throughout New England. She later committed suicide after being arrested by the chief proponent of the Comstock Law, Anthony Comstock.
In 1916, nurse Margaret Sanger founded the United States’ first birth control clinic in New York City. In 1918 she was charged and found guilty of providing contraceptive information. This decision was later overturned by her appeal. It was through her that the Comstock Law was modified in 1936 and it became legal to distribute information about birth control. Sanger founded what would later become known as Planned Parenthood. During her battle to legalize contraceptives and the distribution of information related to venereal diseases, she published the book Woman and the New Race in 1920. She used this publication to educate the public on why a woman should be able to choose what she wants for her life. “It is the essential function of voluntary motherhood to choose its own mate, to determine the time of childbearing and to regulate strictly the number of offspring” (Sanger 18).
It is no wonder that Jig is having such a difficult time deciding what she wants to do with her unborn child. The man with her continues to push the fact that the procedure is completely safe and natural, that she has nothing to worry about. In fact, he pushes the idea so hard that it seems as if he is trying to convince himself more than her. They both know the risk that is involved with an abortion, especially during that time. It was not until the 1960s, well after the time that this story is set, that much safer procedures were adopted in the United States, Great Britain, or Canada. If the couple is considering going to America to have the procedure done, Jig must decide if it is worth being sent to prison, as the Comstock Law was not officially overturned until 1936. She must decide if risking her life is more important than risking her relationship that seems to be doomed regardless of her decision. Aside from the obvious physical risk that she may be taking, she is also taking a risk at the persecution of those around her. If she is religious, her church and/or her family could shun her. While abortion is a very sore topic today, it was just as sensitive, if not more in the 1920s. It is obvious that her decision is very difficult for more than one reason. Even if she is unaware of the history of abortion itself, she is aware of the weight of her decision.
Works Cited
“Comstock Laws.” Answers.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/comstock-laws.
Hemingway, Ernest. “Hills Like White Elephants.” The Heath Anthology of American Literature. 5th ed. Paul Lauter. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006. 1422-25.
“History of Abortion.” Answers.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/history-of-abortion.
“Margaret Sanger.” Answers.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/margaret-sanger.
Sanger, Margaret. Woman and the New Race. Bartleby.com. 16 April 2007. http://www.bartleby.com/1013/.
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